Tucson's First and Formost Fused Glass & Metal Art Gallery
Bio:
Pattie Johnson
Welcome to my addiction. For more than 22 years I have been creating one of a kind glass art and jewelry. I got started in glass after meeting a lovely 81 year old man who worked in stained glass. He explained the process to me and blessed me with his box tools. He felt he was to old to continue with his hobby, as he was having vision problems.
Feeling very honored that he bestowed such a great gift upon me, I went right home and got to work on my first small project. I started working at 11:00 am and did not stop until sunrise the following day. I could not believe the day had gone by so fast and I hadn't noticed I missed a night of sleep. After months and months of practice I opened my own glass studio with my husband Mark, a third generation glass artist and the grandson of master glass blower and glass engraver Adolph Sven Johnson.
I think about that lovely man every time I start a new project. That in a few great hours we spent together he turned my life from the drudgery of being an accountant to glass artist for a lifetime. I never saw him again, but I say a brief thank you every time I finish a project.
After making ceramics in the 70's, I started experimenting with fusing stained glass scraps in my ceramic kiln in the 80's. It was like Christmas every time I opened the kiln. I was either magically surprised or saddened if the project did not work. Back then there were no kilns for fusing glass as there are today. I didn't know if I would get a beautiful piece of art, or something for the scrap pile. You see, to fuse glass it has to be of the same co-efficiency or it would break. Back then their was no way to tell except to experiment. And there were no special kiln controls to control temperature rates.Today manufacturers make special glass just for fusing glass and computer controller's to control temperature rates.
Over 22 years later, my passion for glass still continues. I am currently studying glass blowing, and after making a ton of glassware that looks like it belongs to the Fred Flintstone family, I hope to master that soon too.
Although it's much harder than it looks.
Bio :
Mark Johnson
Growing up around glass was a way of life for me. I watched for hours as my grandfather pain staking engraved intricate designs in glass wear. I marveled at they way he could maneuver a large piece of glass as if it was as light as a feather, engraving wonderful patterns in it. After he finished engraving the piece, it would be finished with a mirror backing. One of these mirrors hangs in my dining room to this day.
In 1973, when I was in my twenties, I took over the glass engraving business after my grandfather passed away, using the same engraving machine and stone cutting wheels he used as a young man. To this day I still use his equipment, although very carefully as some of the equipment is well over 100 years old .
Always striving for a new way to present this ancient technique, I started engraving sidelight windows, custom doors for homes and antique car windows. I have been doing so for more than 30 years.
I learned welding from my father at the age of nine. I would constantly badger him to teach me to weld until one day he said " Son, I have an old garbage can that has a hole in it that needs to be welded. If you can weld it with a coat hanger and my old welder, I will teach you." After many hours of struggle I did it ! Dad was very surprised. You see it's very hard to weld a garbage can, especially using a coat hanger for welding rod. From that moment on, whenever I ask my dad to teach me something new, he did so without hesitation.
In late seventies Pattie and I met. We enjoyed going to art galleries and museums, always dreaming of someday being artists ourselves. In the eighties, after learning stained glass, she asked if there was away we could combine both of our talents, her glass art and my steel and glass work. The rest is history 22 years later we still love creating art together.
Our artwork can be found in Galleries through out the Southwest including the Tucson Museum of Art.
Oh and by the way I also am learning to blow glass, although I don't make as much Fred Flintstone glass wear as Pattie does. But don't tell her that. I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings.
Along with our metal art we are a full service Glass Art Studio
Working in all mediums of glass
Blown: Fused: Cast: Sand Carved: Stained
We have been creating custom art glass for over 30 years and are third generation glass artist.
Our Gallery currently shows
Contemporary Glass and Metal Sculpture
Blown and Kiln Formed Glass and Jewelry Can't find that special art piece your looking for ? Just give us a call and we will design the perfect one of a kind art piece just for you.
Our Clients include
Senator Jim Kolbe R & B Recording artist Minnesa First Magnus Corporation Bancroft and Associates
We have recently been chosen as one of their favorite artist by the staff at
The Guild Source Books for Architectural and Interior Art 2008
Glass Illusions Studio 150 S Camino Seco Suite 119 Tucson , Az 85710 520-296-5752 OR 520-722-8947 glassart4u@aol.com
While are designs are loosely based on petroglyph they are our own original designs exclusive to us. There are no actual petroglyphs that are exactly like our designs.
To protect our clients investment Pattie and Mark Johnson AKA Glass Illusions Studio and Illusions Gallery reserves the right to pursue unauthorized use of our artwork and or designs. If you violate the copyright of our designs and or artwork you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of our designs and or artwork, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).